Info point 13: The congress hall

Formation of a planned settlement

When the Morosini dalla Sbarra family came into possession of the estate, the village of San Vincenti, as it was called in earlier documents, was thoroughly transformed, and traces of the old settlement were completely disregarded. Instead, a newly planned Renaissance settlement was formed around the newly built castle. Its center was the settlement square surrounded by the most important places of a functioning community, such as the castle, the parish church, the parsonage, the settlement lodge, and the public water reservoir. On the north side of the castle there was a garden surrounded by a wall, and on the other sides of the castle there were blocks of houses lined in an orderly fashion along the main streets.

Urban character

Although the settlement was not fortified, it had three city gates located on the main roads leading to it. Their purpose was probably to control the movement of people and the transportation of goods, but it was also symbolic in order to emphasize the status of the settlement. The urban character of the settlement was also noticeable in its population, i.e., in its economic activities. Agriculture and animal husbandry were mainly related to the rural settlements in the area, while the Svetvinčenat population worked in administrative jobs, for the church, as tradesmen and craftsmen.